


Uncharted Territory

by Saavikam77



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Academia, ColdAtom Week 2016, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6673330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saavikam77/pseuds/Saavikam77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Ray Palmer is excited to start his new position in the physics department of Central City University, but the people he meets catch him completely off guard. Especially the department's resident 'bad boy', Dr. Leonard Snart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uncharted Territory

**Author's Note:**

> For Coldatom Week 2016, Day 2: HS/College AU. I'm way too old for those kinds of AUs, so this went the academia route.

Crossing to the small pavilion outside the Physics building—Wells Hall, a place he remembered fondly—Ray Palmer picked out the man he was looking for. Steel gray hair, glasses, suit with elbow patches, yep, Dr. Martin Stein was here, after all. He couldn't help a grin as he caught the older man's attention, waving enthusiastically.

What a long way he'd come, from one of Dr. Stein's undergrads, to TA, to doctoral student, to private research with his family's company, and now back to Central City University, to take up the mantel of professor himself. It was kind of a dream come true, really. Well, all except for that part in the middle where he'd met—and lost—the love of his life in less than a year, but Ray was here to move forward with his life, to start anew in familiar surroundings.

“Mister Palmer!” Stein greeted him with a welcoming smile and handshake as he rose from his seat at a long picnic table. “So glad to have you back!”

Ray beamed, returning the handshake. “It's great to be back, Dr. Stein.”

“Now, now, you're part of the department. Call me Martin.” Sitting again, he gestured to the group seated around the table with him. “And speaking of the department, allow me to introduce you to a few of our esteemed colleagues.”

Setting down his messenger bag and sitting beside Stein—Martin, he supposed he should get used to calling his mentor now—Ray smiled at the group. “Nice to meet you all. I'm Ray Palmer. Particle and Experimental Physics.”

“We heard,” said a large man with a shaved head at the far end of the table, his voice gruff. He wore a henley and khakis with red suspenders, looking more like an off-duty firefighter than a physics professor.

“Be nice, Mister Rory,” Martin admonished him. “Dr. Palmer, this is Dr. Mick Rory, Thermodynamics. You'll have to forgive him, he's a little crusty around the edges.”

Rory grunted, and went back to the sandwich he'd been eating. Ray couldn't help a small, nervous laugh.

Moving on, Martin introduced a blonde woman in gray sweats, who'd been speaking closely with a dark-haired woman. “This is Dr. Sara Lance, Classical Mechanics and Theoretical Dynamics. Don't let the coy smile fool you, she also moonlights as a Martial Arts instructor.”

“And I'd be happy to demonstrate anytime,” Dr. Lance added, sporting the coy smile that Martin warned of. Wow, Ray was starting to feel a little under-prepared for this position.

“Dr. Palmer, Dr. Kendra Saunders, our friend from the Engineering Department, an expert in Aerodynamics,” Martin went on, introducing the other woman. She was the only person at the table besides himself and Martin that was dressed like a professional. “She keeps our spirits lifted around here, as it were.”

Dr. Saunders laughed genuinely, flashing a grin at Ray. “Pleasure.”

A sigh of relief escaped Ray as he returned her smile. At least there was someone that didn't seem like they'd try to eat him alive. “Likewise,” he nodded back.

“And last, but not least,” Martin finished, “we have Dr. Leonard Snart, specializing in Optics and Electromechanics. Our resident 'bad boy', or as some in the department like to call him, 'Cold'.”

“I never asked for that,” Snart replied, his voice low and measured, hardened and sharp. “We have Dr. Ramon to thank for the nicknames. He's a fanboy, what can I say?”

Snart looked to be a few years older than Ray, sporting closely-buzzed salt-and-pepper hair and a black motorcycle jacket. He had one foot propped up on the bench beside him, a long-fingered hand draped casually over his knee, sprawled and relaxed. His gaze was piercing, a small smirk on his lips.

“Um,” was all Ray could manage to get out then, his voice suddenly hiding as he felt his neck begin to warm up.

“Is that all you've got, Pretty Boy?” Snart drawled, cocking his head to one side.

Good God, no wonder Martin had referred to him as the 'bad boy'. There was one at every university, sure, but this one fit the bill a little too well. He was quite possibly one of the most beautiful men Ray had ever seen, and the mere knowledge of it sent his mind—mostly his hindbrain, unfortunately—into overdrive. Ray couldn't help a sudden urge to crawl under the table. Danger, Will Robinson. Red Alert. All hands to battle stations.

He had to forcibly stop himself from loosening his tie, folding his hands together on the table to keep from fidgeting. But he got himself composed finally, swallowed hard, and said, “Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Snart.”

Snart huffed, then looked at Ray more critically. “No … I think you might get to call me Len.”

“Wow, lucky you,” Dr. Lance put in. “We only get to call him Snart. And Cold's reserved for when he's being an ass.”

Leveling a glare in her direction, Snart—Len, really?—shot back, “Watch it, Canary.” To Ray, he went on, “Stick close, kid. You look like a lost puppy that wandered into a snake pit, and we wouldn't want you to get bitten.”

Dr. Saunders smacked Len's arm. “Hey! Nobody's biting anybody. He's kidding, Ray. Really.”

“Or am I?” Len smirked again.

Another nervous laugh escaped Ray as he managed to hold in a quip that he wouldn't mind Len biting him at all. And where the hell had that come from? Damn, he was in no way prepared for this position, and Len was clearly a bad influence. He swallowed again, calming himself, and asked Dr. Lance about her specialties.

At last the conversation settled into an easy Q and A, Ray getting to know the group he'd be working with, hearing all the gossip about the department head, Dr. Hunter, and his bizarre theories about time travel, and sharing details of his own work with quantum particles. Len traded barbs and banter with the ladies, Martin cut in occasionally with context for their in-jokes, and Rory stayed mostly silent, grunting occasionally. They weren't such a bad group, he realized as they went on, most of them finishing their lunch while Martin shuffled papers, preparing his notes for his next class. Ray actually started to feel welcome, much to his relief.

Every time he looked across at Len, though, catching his intense stare … well, Ray knew he was gonna fall hard and fast. Sure, this side of academia wasn't quite what he'd expected, but his plan to start anew seemed like it'd be a hell of a lot more than Ray had bargained for. Completely uncharted territory.

He couldn't wait to get started.

~*~*~


End file.
